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For decades, herpetologists believed that many mountain pit vipers living across parts of the eastern Himalayas belonged to the same widespread species, the Chinese mountain pit viper (Ovophis monticola). But scientists have now shown that at least one group of these snakes has been hiding in plain sight all along.

New technology enables scientists to study dolphins non-invasively. To study dolphin groups, scientists do not need to capture individuals or take tissue samples; instead, they analyze small amounts of DNA left by dolphins in seawater.

Forests might appear like serene places, but the truth is that there is a fierce battle for one of nature's most vital resources taking place in these forests - sunlight. For decades, scientists thought this competition would favor only the tallest trees.

Scientists have discovered hidden movements beneath California's San Andreas Fault with the help of artificial intelligence, revealing a type of slow fault slip that had largely gone unnoticed till now. The researchers say these silent movements may play a bigger role in earthquake activity than it was previously thought.

Forecasts for the tropical Pacific have shifted noticeably over the past month, with climate scientists now placing greater confidence in the arrival of a particularly powerful El Nino later this year. While these events are part of a natural climate cycle, their effects rarely stay confined to the Pacific Ocean.

At first glance, the Andean leaf-eared mouse looks like an ordinary rodent. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it would be easy to overlook.

Although the potential comes with significant uncertainties, it opens up the possibility of science finding ways to counter extreme weather phenomenon across the globe.

Nearly 150 years after gallium was first discovered and added to the periodic table, scientists at the University of Auckland have uncovered previously unknown details about the metal's atomic structure and behaviour, details that overturn an assumption that has shaped the field for more than three decades. Gallium was identified in 1875 by French chemist Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, and it has long fascinated scientists for one particularly striking trait, its melting point sits so low that a gallium spoon can dissolve in a cup of hot tea.

Scientists say the Pacific is heating so quickly that the 2026-27 El Nino is far ahead of past events. They warn it could drive severe global weather and briefly lift 2027 above 2degC warming.

Scientists using artificial intelligence (AI) have uncovered a complex communication system among sperm whales, identifying a kind of phonetic alphabet. The discovery comes as experts also found sperm whales living in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have developed a distinct regional dialect that separates them from populations living in the west.